1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a system to control an aircraft, such as a radio-controlled (RC) aircraft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flying RC aircraft is a popular and growing hobby enjoyed by a wide variety of people. RC aircraft are also used by scientific and government organizations in scientific experiments, such as gathering meteorological information, and military applications, such as drones or spy planes. Flying RC aircraft commonly requires a large, obstruction free area to allow take-offs, landings, and flight of the aircraft.
Typically, most hobbyists control their RC aircraft using a remote control unit. Such units are available from a variety of manufacturers. One example of such a unit may be appreciated from U.S. Design Pat. No. D342,297 to Kouno (the '297 patent). The unit shown in the '297 patent includes a number of features that are typically found on most remote control units including a pair of joysticks which provide the primary control of the aircraft. Each joystick is movable in two main directions, thus providing four directions of movement. These four directions of movement typically provide control over elevators, ailerons, throttle, and a rudder of the aircraft. The unit also includes a battery, a transmitter, and an antenna.
The prior art remote control units shown, however, have several drawbacks. First, the weight of the battery and transmitter may tend to make the unit very heavy and difficult to hold for long periods of time. As a result, most RC aircraft hobbyists connect a strap to the unit and support the strap using their neck. As a result, neck fatigue often occurs when operating for more than a short-period of time. Furthermore, the joysticks of the unit are positioned relatively close together. This results in an unnatural and uncomfortable operating arrangement for the operator of the RC aircraft. Moreover, this operating arrangement bears little resemblance to the controls of a cockpit-flown aircraft.
One attempt at addressing some of the above mentioned deficiencies can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,144 to Kaye (the '144 patent). The '144 patent discloses an arm-mountable control unit having a control stick movable in a plurality of directions for controlling elevators and ailerons of the aircraft. A throttle button is provided to allow control over the throttle. The unit also includes a battery, transmitter, and antenna which are also supportable by an arm of the user. The weight of these components undoubtedly causes arm strain and an uncomfortable operating arrangement.
There remains an opportunity to provide a control system for an RC aircraft that provides minimal fatigue and strain to the user. Furthermore, there also remains an opportunity to provide a control system that more accurately simulates operation of a cockpit-controlled aircraft. Also, there remains an opportunity to provide a control system that allows for operation of the RC aircraft in a more confined area.